blemish

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰel-“to shine”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*blasaz“white, pale”
3. Frankish · derived from*blasmī“pale”
4. Frankish · derived from*blesmijan
5. Old French · derived fromblemir
6. Old French · derived fromblemiss-
7. Middle English · inherited fromblemisshen
8. English todayblemish

From Middle English blemisshen, blemissen, from Old French blemiss-, stem of Old French blemir, blesmir (“make pale, injure, wound, bruise”) (French blêmir), from Old Frankish *blesmijan, *blasmijan (“to make pale”), from Old Frankish *blasmī (“pale”), from Proto-Germanic *blasaz (“white, pale”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- (“to shine”). Cognate with Dutch bles (“white spot”), German blass (“pale”), Old English āblered (“bare, uncovered, bald, shaven”).

Words from the same roots